Are Cell Phones Giving You Horns?

My initial reaction to the word “horns” was to feel for horns on the top of my head, but according to recent studies, horns are appearing on the back of the teenager’s cervical vertebrae, I’ll give you a second to feel for them.

David Shakur, a researcher at USC Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia said in an article called, Young people are growing horns from cell phone use: study, “These horns or ‘spikes,’ which clinicians call an ‘external occipital protuberance,’ were first noted in 1885, but thought to be so rare that the anomaly was undeserving of a medical diagnosis.” Fast forward to now-these protuberances are causing problems again.

According to David Shakur, “The spikes may be caused by the habitual bent-neck posture of frequent mobile device users. Holding this position for long periods of time can put extra pressure at the point where the neck muscles meet the skull.” This means that the people who are constantly bending their necks to look on their phones could grow horns!

When I interviewed Ms. McCreesh, she said, “I’ve never heard of horns growing on the back of people’s necks because of cellphones. I’m a bit concerned for students because they’re addicted to their phones.” In a secondary interview, Connor Spring, a junior at Overland, said “I have heard of cellphones giving people horns from Instagram, but horns aren’t caused by just cell phone use. With the way teenager’s days are structured, we have to bend over for schoolwork, homework, to use computers, etc. I feel like having horns on the back of our necks is just going to become the new normal.”

With that said, I advise that you all try to correct your posture, because who wants horns on the back of their neck!

Daniah ElgomatiSmall comic showing what could happen if you continue to bend your neck.